Rune Hunters

I know, I’m a little late on posting my impressions PAX 2010. Those of you that follow the podcast on our sister site, have probably already gotten an idea of what I liked there. Still, I figured a little written reflection wouldn’t hurt. That, and it would be nice to take a break from writing about schoolgirl witches and warriors.

So PAX Prime, the video gaming pride and joy of the northwest, is a convention I’ve been attending for some time now.  Hosted by the folks at Penny-Arcade, PAX is a weekend long getaway in which to get engrossed in gaming and geek culture.  The main attraction is the ever enlarging Expo Hall, where a good chunk of the games industry goes to show off there latest and greatest games.  There’s demos aplenty and swag galore.  It really is a mini E3…well, mini may not be the best way to describe it.  It is quite large in it’s own right.

Gaming aside, there was also a slew of cool panels, tournaments, music concerts and contests. There’s so much to do, it can be overwhelming, almost demanding more than the measly three days that it is allowed. Heck, anyone needing to rest could hit up one of the two floors worth of beanbag chairs and play some DS.

So, you’ve probably had enough about me prattling on about the convention. You want to know, how were the games? Well, I got to finally play some that I’d been looking forward to for a while. First up was Marvel vs Capcom 3. I’m an avid fan of MvC2, but I have not yet had a chance to play Tatsunoko vs Capcom, a spiritual entry in the series. From what I know, MvC3 is closer to TvC than MvC2. What I played on the show floor was a lot of fun. It was an easy to play, over the top fighter, which is what I expected for the long awaited sequel. I definitely want to play more when it comes out.

Tried the other fighter I wanted to play, the new Mortal Kombat. I also had a lot of fun with this one, a nice and gory brawler that brings the series back to it’s roots. What was neat was that series co-creator, Ed Boon, was around the booth and I got a chance to talk with him. He’s a very nice guy, which is odd for someone who created such a violent series.

Rounding out my list of games played: Hunted: The Demon’s Forge, a fun co-op fantasy shooter/action game. Fallout: New Vegas, more Fallout 3, but that’s not a bad thing. Donkey Kong Country Returns, which is fun but plays nothing like the old SNES games. Dragon Age 2 and Portal 2 were also there, but I was too impatient to wait in the long lines to play them.

Finally, Duke Nukem Forever made it’s debut. Returning from the grave, it was a nice treat to see there. Unfortunately, it’s lines were the longest so I didn’t get a chance to see it. Oh well, I got to enjoy some of the other panels and events instead.

So there you go guys, my PAX impressions. I’ve barely scratched the surface, but you’re probably already sick of my prattling on. Basically, if you live in Washington, go to this! PAX Prime 2011 is only a year away.